Intriguing question. When I first heard about 4e, I started coming up with ideas for how I'd personally do 4e but decided to give up and wait until 4e came out before actually making anything. That way I could work it as houserules to 4e and keep it compatible.
However the 4e previews haven't impressed me, so I've been considering lately making my own "fourth edition" out of the ideas I had a while ago. Here are my current ideas.
# Create a 0th level representing a character's background at this level you are granted most of the benefits people get at 1st level. Extra hit points and skills, your character's wealth, that sort of thing. This allows extra characterisation, and would be similar to kits from 2e or those background selections from d20 modern (not too familiar with that system though). The biggest reason for this though is that it would allow multiclassing without the 1st level dilemna. (Also many NPCs could just have their 0th level).
# The variety of actions, iterative action and initiative replaced by a system in which each character has a number of action points, influenced by dexterity, which are spent to perform actions. More involved actions would cost more action points to perform. I'm still working on the exact way this would work, but I want to keep this simpler than the exalted tick system (though it would work with similar concepts).
# Every attack and its related damage would be resolved with a single roll and some simple arithmetic.
# Number of hit points would be significantly reduced but most attacks would deal 1 hit point with it increasingly difficult to deal higher numbers of hit points at once. Once hit points run out the character doesn't die automatically but has to resist death each time they are hit, suffering some secondary effect if they succeed (perhaps ability damage or its new equivalent).
# A spell design system that allows balanced spells to be created for any level. (With inspiration from GURPS powers).
# Monster classes that you can use to build any creature based on their role in the adventure . So you could build a monster by giving it 3 levels of Brute and 2 levels of Mastermind, or whatever (possibly with these classes based a little on the attribute classes of d20 modern). You could also give them a 0th level based on their Type which grants them their appropriate characteristics. This could get more specific as well with things like templates but built more like prestige classes. Then an MM wouldn't necessarily have monsters in it but instead have the classes and prestige classes and you could assemble them yourself. Another book could come with prebuilt monsters for those searching for inspiration.
# Stances (like BO9S) for all classes reflecting their appropriate abilities. Things like uncanny dodge and the like can be rebuilt into stances.
# Numerical attributes will be replaced with simply modifiers, (Like True20) and each level of +1 possessed will grant a benefit related to that attribute. (Like the D20 Modern classes special abilities)
# Each weapon will grant a unique benefit from wielding it. For example Axes may allow a character to sunder more easily. These abilities are enhanced by having a proficiency and more by a speciality.
...maybe more to come later, it's hard remembering all the ideas I had.
However the 4e previews haven't impressed me, so I've been considering lately making my own "fourth edition" out of the ideas I had a while ago. Here are my current ideas.
# Create a 0th level representing a character's background at this level you are granted most of the benefits people get at 1st level. Extra hit points and skills, your character's wealth, that sort of thing. This allows extra characterisation, and would be similar to kits from 2e or those background selections from d20 modern (not too familiar with that system though). The biggest reason for this though is that it would allow multiclassing without the 1st level dilemna. (Also many NPCs could just have their 0th level).
# The variety of actions, iterative action and initiative replaced by a system in which each character has a number of action points, influenced by dexterity, which are spent to perform actions. More involved actions would cost more action points to perform. I'm still working on the exact way this would work, but I want to keep this simpler than the exalted tick system (though it would work with similar concepts).
# Every attack and its related damage would be resolved with a single roll and some simple arithmetic.
# Number of hit points would be significantly reduced but most attacks would deal 1 hit point with it increasingly difficult to deal higher numbers of hit points at once. Once hit points run out the character doesn't die automatically but has to resist death each time they are hit, suffering some secondary effect if they succeed (perhaps ability damage or its new equivalent).
# A spell design system that allows balanced spells to be created for any level. (With inspiration from GURPS powers).
# Monster classes that you can use to build any creature based on their role in the adventure . So you could build a monster by giving it 3 levels of Brute and 2 levels of Mastermind, or whatever (possibly with these classes based a little on the attribute classes of d20 modern). You could also give them a 0th level based on their Type which grants them their appropriate characteristics. This could get more specific as well with things like templates but built more like prestige classes. Then an MM wouldn't necessarily have monsters in it but instead have the classes and prestige classes and you could assemble them yourself. Another book could come with prebuilt monsters for those searching for inspiration.
# Stances (like BO9S) for all classes reflecting their appropriate abilities. Things like uncanny dodge and the like can be rebuilt into stances.
# Numerical attributes will be replaced with simply modifiers, (Like True20) and each level of +1 possessed will grant a benefit related to that attribute. (Like the D20 Modern classes special abilities)
# Each weapon will grant a unique benefit from wielding it. For example Axes may allow a character to sunder more easily. These abilities are enhanced by having a proficiency and more by a speciality.
...maybe more to come later, it's hard remembering all the ideas I had.
)
